Due to a recent eBay sale I added Mech Fans Toys Sharktticons (the extra “t” is for intellectual property rights!) to my collection.

The Box

The box features a movie-inspired scene of the Sharktticons attacking Hot Rod.

Inside the box are three Sharktticons, their maces, antennae (including spares!) and newly-designed pistols.

Note: The antennae do not come installed, I installed mine before taking this photo so the ones you can see here are the spares

The Regular Edition

A much darker version of the Legends Sharkticon, with the paint apps on the head removed and the beast hands painted blue like Titans Return Gnaw. In addition to the antennae, the robot fists have been modified so that they can be rotated or removed.

Robot Mode

The antennae are extremely thin and, in robot mode, point down. I’m actually worried about leaving them in robot mode for fear that they’ll wobble and snap one off.

Beast Mode

Here is where those antennae really shine!

The Special Edition

The third shark in the box is a version with clear pink parts and a slightly different paint application.

Robot Mode

I’m not crazy about this version, but I do like that they put a little extra effort into it with the new paint scheme on both the figure and weapons.

Beast Mode

The antennae are clear pink to match the arms, fin and jaw.

Quality Control Issues

Sadly, the left arm on mine came off during the first transformation. Also, the left side of the beast head was loose out of the box and eventually came off of the rivet.

Comparing the Editions

As mentioned above, it’s not just clear plastic, but a reworked paint job that makes this version stand out.

Robot Mode

Standing next to the regular version you can see that the special edition is very pink in robot mode.

Beast Mode

The beast mode is not quite as pink since those parts are mostly on the underside.

The Comparisons

These are 1 to 1 knockoffs of the original.

Robot Mode

Legends on the left, Sharktticon in the middle and Titans Return on the right.

Beast Mode

The Conclusion

The first thing to remember is that these are not toys, the antennae alone would fail any safety inspection. That said, they do make nice display pieces.

The first of the Prime Wars Trilogy Exclusives has arrived at JunkionHQ and wow, is it a great start!

The Figure

The figure is a very good update of the G1 figure and includes the chest details from the original.

The Shuttle

Transformation is always a bit worrisome for me with this mold, the shuttle nose always feels on the verge of breaking off. In fact, I often find myself removing it for transformation just to calm my nerves.

The Comparisons

Blast Off is my second favorite Combaticon just edged out by Brawl.

G1

Here he is with a gold-box reissue of the original figure. The colors are spot on even down to the faux windows on the forearms.

Unlike the G1 toy, the shuttle mode is more of an “inspired by” space shuttle.

Unite Warriors

This is the second release of this mold, the first being part of the Unite Warriors Bruticus box set. While TakaraTomy chose to make the top of the shuttle the chest, Hasbro literally gone the other way.

The new release is an olive green like the original toy where UW is mostly a light brown. The biggest issue with the shuttle mode is the fact that, since the arms have been swapped, the hollow parts end up on very visible.

The combiner hand is a dark grey rather than the silver on the UW version and the fingers are slightly lighter grey. The pistol is glossy black instead of a matte dark grey.

Megatronus

Megatronus, for me, was initially just a useless add-on. However, in hand, I find that I really like version of the Prime Master.

The special-edition Megatronus switches the light grey plastic with clear red and the dark grey with black. The outside of the arms have been painted grey leaving the fists in red which is a really nice look. The thighs have also been painted grey. The head is painted grey as well with a black face and unpainted eyes that allow for light-piping!

Prime Masters

While the original release had a very Megatron color scheme, I like that the special edition stands on it’s own.

The Conclusion

This version of Blast Off will take his place on display in place of his Unite Warriors equivalent.

I picked up a few of Wild Kidz’s new Iron Deck background sets to try out.

The Contents

The Iron Deck set comes in a fancy anti-static bag.

Inside the bag are ten panels, eighteen panel connectors, two arm bases, four arm segments, two claw bases, two inner claws and two outer claws.

The Panels

The panels are two sided, one with 5mm holes and one without. The hinges are uni-directional so you have the option of showing either side.

The connectors are also uni-directional and two sided with a circular mold mark on one side.

The Constructions

The hinge connectors give you a lot of options but do also function as hinges so you will need side walls of some kind if you want to use these to build a display background.

You can also use the kit to build crates or lifts for your display. This is where they really add something new

The Conclusion

Make sure to assemble your display in place, the panel connectors do not provide enough structural stability to survive a move. I ended up having to build my new corner display twice because it fell apart when I tried to slide it into place. The display below is constructed with three sets of the Iron Deck panels.

Solus Prime

The Conclusion

It’s a little sad that we’re only getting eight of the twelve Primes as individual releases with Decoy armor. Onyx Prime is only available with Predaking and Prima will only be available in the (not yet officially announced) Punch/Counterpunch exclusive. Nexus Prime and Amalgamous Prime have only been seen on a poster that comes with Predaking which shows off their “faces.” I know it’s a long shot but I’m still hoping for a four-pack with Onyx, Prima, Nexus and Amalgamous with Decoy armor.

The Card

My version of Outback came with a card for the Quintus Prime combination.

The Robot

The robot mode replaces the Autobot logo on the chest with a multi-color box like the one the original G1 figure had. The down side to this is that there really isn’t an Autobot logo visible in robot mode. It also features a new head to better reflect the character.

The Truck

The truck mode seems a bit incomplete since there is no cannon included with this figure which was, literally, a big part of the G1 release.

This is the only mode where the single, tiny, Autobot logo is visible.

Prime Master Integration

Like Brawn, the cockpit opens so that you can put a Prime Master inside.

Comparisons

Aside from the head and the paint job, there aren’t any changes from the original Brawn release.

This is my second Outback in rapid succession having recently picked up BadCube’s Backland.

Although Brawny was a little eclipsed by Huff, which arrived on the same day, it’s still a great figure. When I saw an opportunity to pick up Backland (aka Masterpiece Outback), which is sold out everywhere, I jumped at the chance.

The Box

Continuing their two tone style, the box is brown and beige to match the figure inside.

This is the original version so it does not include the spare face and TOE frisbee bomb accessory that were sold in the Quintesson Journal pack. The standard TOE Decepticon detector (which stores in the fuel can like Brawny’s pistol) and large roof-mounted cannon came with both releases.

Being the original release it also has an explanation that BadCube is the new version of Cubex.

The Figure

To differentiate him from Brawny, Backland has the truck grill over his head and faux window panels on his shoulders to evoke his G1 toy and cartoon appearances. Personally, I would have preferred that the grill fold away like Brawny’s does but this way, I guess, he doesn’t need to worry about the rain.

I really wish there was someplace to store the Decepticon detector in robot mode when not in use. It can’t just be left in the box since it’s the core of the fuel can in vehicle mode and the other two parts of the can fill in the robot calves. So you end up with a choice: spare part or gappy legs.

The Truck

I like that they gave Backland a detailed winch instead of the plain bumper on Brawny just like the G1 version had.

The biggest issue with the vehicle mode is the gap in the gas can where the Decepticon detector is hidden which is not a problem Brawny had.

The Comparison

Some comparison shots to really show off the differences between his mold-mate Brawny. He comes out a bit taller due to his head piece.

In the side view you can see the faux windows attached to the shoulders which make getting the arms properly positioned for vehicle mode much more challenging than with Brawny.

Vehicle mode complete with signature roof cannon.

Masterpiece

(Autobot symbols sold separately)

Just like Brawny, Backland fits in well with the rest of the Masterpiece line.

(Autobot symbols sold separately)

The Conclusion

(Autobot symbols sold separately)

This is the fifth BadCube MP mini-bot that I’ve purchased and leaves me with only Grump on my want list.

* “That One Episode” – the obligatory Masterpiece accessory that the character used once in the cartoon.

I was so impressed with BadCube’s Huff that I didn’t hesitate to order Piper, their Masterpiece Pipes.

The Box

Continuing their two tone style, the box is blue and white to match the figure inside.

No gun for Piper, just his pipes. He does however, include two options to customize his face and, in the TOE category, a Metro Gear (aka Metroplex’s transformation cog).

The Figure

The robot mode certainly looks like it stepped out of the original cartoon. One nice touch is how the side mirrors tuck away inside the cab when in robot mode.

One odd thing about the back of the figure is the support bar that stretches from his back to the bumper of the cab. I wish that they had designed something a little more elegant

The Truck

This mold really looks good in blue and the silver front bumper really stands out and is a nice nod to the G1 toy.

The biggest flaw of the vehicle mode is that the robot waist does not lock into place so it is far too easy to twist the tow bed out of alignment while handling it. Another compromise in the new leg transformation is that the hip joints are visible in vehicle mode.

Not Just a Repaint

One of the best things about BadCube is that they put a lot of work into secondary releases like this one to make sure that they are distinct from their mold-mate. As you can see, there have been some extensive changes to the robot mode to match the original including different positioning of the cab, visible wheels and his namesake arm-mounted exhaust pipes.

One drawback to the new cab positioning is that you loose out on one of the better features of Huff’s robot mode, the collapsing cab which shrinks his profile considerably.

Vehicle mode is much closer to Huff with only the new smoke stacks and lack of weapon storage to differentiate the two.

As you can see, Piper does a much better job hiding the robot parts in this view.

As you can also see, Huff does a better job hiding the robot parts in the side view than Piper.

The Masterpiece

(Autobot symbols sold separately)

Due to the design of the back side of the cab there isn’t a really good spot for a huge Autobot badge like you see on the G1 figure. The hinges for the smoke stack mounts and inset rear “window” only leave space for a very small symbol.

(Autobot symbols sold separately)

The Conclusion

(Autobot symbols sold separately)

I have to admit that I’ve become something of a BadCube mini-bot fan-boy. This mold, like Huff, is just fun. A very intuitive transformation and playability that you don’t usually get with third-party Masterpieces.

* “That One Episode” – the obligatory Masterpiece accessory that the character used once in the cartoon.

The Robot

I really like the fact that they didn’t go with a faux chest like X-Transbot’s Torro. For me, I’d rather have the actual vehicle parts over pure toon-accuracy.

They actually include three different weapons including the long pistol, cannon and a Jazz-style rifle.

Many people have been concerned about the waist on the figure and wondered whether the designer sacrificed the robot mode to include the vehicle interior. I found that the waist feels pretty solid and is connected to the die-cast “spine” of the figure.

And another view of the waist connection from the side.

The Porsche

Not quite a real-world Porsche 924 like the ACE or X-Transbots’ versions, but not totally a penny-racer either. All in all, an acceptable trade-off.

Hellion has a detailed interior including not just seats but a steering wheel and gear shift. You’ll need to be very careful with the steering wheel during transformation as it has a tendency to pop off.

In the TOE category, Hellion has a set of water skis, hood laser and “car bra” to protect his engine from salt water.

One thing to be aware of is that the instructions on how to put together the jet-ski mode are missing a few steps.

I had to partially transform the legs and push out the hood panel from underneath in order to change it out.

Comparisons

A perfect fit that hits all of my personal preferences.

Here’s where the hybrid vehicle mode becomes really obvious and out of place. Although I’ve made my peace with it based on how much I like the robot mode, I would still have preferred a more accurate Porsche.

ACE’s vehicle mode is a much better fit with the Masterpiece line than Hellion. But, since I rarely display MPs in that mode, it’s not enough to sour me on this figure.

The Conclusion

In hand the figure feels pretty good but not perfect. It has the opposite problem of Hiccups, his feet are so small that the figure wants to topple backwards when in a static standing pose. There are also a lot of very small parts (including the steering wheel that I mentioned earlier, the base boards below the doors and trigger fingers) that made me a bit nervous but they never really felt stressed so that may not have been warranted.

Now all I have to do is decide whether to display him with the shouting face beside my G2 Masterpiece figures or just in vehicle mode with the doors open.

UPDATE: Extendable Neck

Over on TFW2005, a board member was asking about about how the neck looked too long in some photos so I took some photos to show off the articulated arm that the head is mounted on.

Here’s the normal view:

Here he is with his neck fully extended:

And a close-up of the arm with the head removed:

* “That One Episode” – the obligatory Masterpiece accessory that the character used once in the cartoon.